Guinta: Opponent may not represent Republicans

DOVER — Republican candidate for U.S. Congress Frank Guinta said his opponent Dan Innis is a “nice guy” and that he “applauds his career choices,” but that history indicates Innis is not as much of a supporter for the Republican party as one might initially presume.

During an editorial board meeting at Foster’s Daily Democrat, Guinta said Innis took a Democratic ballot in the 2008 Presidential primary and he endorsed Democratic candidate for Governor, Jackie Cilley, in 2012.

Innis voted in the 2012 Democratic primary, meaning that he was not a registered Republican at that time.

“Those examples suggest to me that he is a Democrat,” Guinta said.

Innis and his husband, Doug Palardy, own The Hotel Portsmouth on Court Street, which is the former Sise Inn. The couple used to own the Ale House Inn on Bow Street.

Innis, who has three children from a prior marriage, has been making headlines because he is among three openly gay Republicans nationwide that are expected to run in this year’s midterm elections.

Guinta said that during the race for the Republican nomination, he expects Innis will try to characterize him as a career politician.

“He’ll argue that I am a career politician and that’s fine. I had a business before I started serving and I had a business after I stopped serving,” Guinta said. “There is a lot more to it than putting out a few pieces of literature for a campaign team.”

Guinta served two terms in the New Hampshire legislature, two terms as an alderman in Manchester and four years as Manchester’s mayor, from 2006-2010.

In 2010, he unseated Democratic Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013.

If Guinta wins the Republican primary, he will face Shea-Porter in the November general election.

Guinta said one of the reasons he decided to campaign for Congress again is because he did not see much difference in Shea-Porter’s ideology after she returned to Washington, D.C.

“I haven’t seen any real improvement in her ability to serve the people of our district,” Guinta said. He said he has heard complaints that Shea-Porter is unaccessible to her constituents.

During the editorial board meeting Guinta discussed the Affordable Care Act at length. He said it would be difficult to repeal and replace the Act, but that there are a number of changes that could be made to reform the health care laws.

The former Congressman said the country needs to find solutions so we can preserve programs like Social Security and Medicare, while addressing the fact that the nation is $17 trillion dollars in debt.

Guinta also addressed the topics of immigration reform, same day registration for elections, the amount of money spent on negative campaigns immediately prior to the election in 2012 and the influence former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown might have in the election cycle this fall.

Brown, a Republican, is expected to run against Democratic U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen in November. He recently moved to the state and said he plans to formally announce his candidacy soon.

“If Scott is the nominee, it is going to be a tough, tough race for both of them,” Guinta said.